As shown in FIG. 5, a conventional binding device 1a is used to pull tight a belt assembly for fixing and securing a load on a vehicle. More specifically, the binding device 1a is used to pull together connecting ends of upper and lower belts 10a, 12a, with engaging elements 14a, 16a on far ends thereof, e.g. hooks or rings, which engage with fixed counterelements, e.g. hooks on the vehicle. The binding device 1a comprises: two ratchet wheels 2a, surrounding central holes 21a; a roll 3a, mounted on two ends thereof in the central holes 21a and having a longitudinal slit 31a, into which the upper belt 10a is inserted; a lever 4a, shaped like the letter U, having a lower end with an opening that is fixed on one of the ratchet wheels 2a and the roll 3a and having an upper end with a handle 43a for manually lifting the lever 4a; a frame 5a, shaped like the letter U, having a connecting end fixed on another of the ratchet wheels 2a and having a free end to which the lower belt 12a is fastened; and upper and lower blocking assemblies 6a, 7a. The upper blocking assembly 6a comprises: an upper blocking element 61a, shaped like the letter U and mounted on a middle section of the lever 4a, transversally glidable thereon and in a first blocking position thereof blocking one of the ratchet wheels 2a from turning back; a spring 63a, at a front end pushing the upper blocking element 61a towards the first blocking position; and a spring support 65a, mounted on the lever 4a and supporting a rear end of the spring 63a. The lower blocking assembly 7a comprises: a lower blocking element 71a, shaped like the letter U and mounted on a middle section of the frame 5a, transversally glidable thereon and in a second blocking position thereof blocking one of the ratchet wheels 2a from turning back; a spring 73a, at a front end pushing the lower blocking element 71a towards the second blocking position; and a spring support 75a, mounted on the frame 5a and supporting a rear end of the spring 73a. For using the binding device 1a, the lever 4a is repeatedly pushed towards the frame 5a and pulled away therefrom, so that the belts 10a, 12a are pulled together with great force due to a lever effect and at the same time prevented from loosening, so that cargo on a vehicle is fixed and secured.
For securing cargo, binding devices as described above play an important role. However, since the slit 31a has to accommodate connecting ends of upper belts of various width, the latter are in many cases not laterally fixed. Furthermore, for binding cargos of great variety, long upper belts are usually used, so that often long connecting ends have to be pulled through the slit 31a, while the upper and lower blocking elements 61a, 71a have to be kept from blocking the ratchet wheels 2a, wasting time.